The present invention relates to a cleaning device, and more particularly, to a cleaning device for cleaning surfaces of conveyor systems.
Conveyor systems are used in a number of different industries to transport items of all types. Some types of conveyor systems include a track that has an interior along which a portion of the conveyor system and/or a portion of items conveyed by the conveyor system pass. For example, some conveyor systems in the beverage industry transport bottles along an elongated track using the neck of the bottle. In these conveyor systems, the top of each bottle extends into an interior space of the elongated track, which typically include a longitudinal slot through which the neck of the bottle extends. In some conveyor systems, compressed air directly, or indirectly, urges the bottle along the conveyor path.
Over time, the interior of the track and other portions of the conveyor system can accumulate dust, microorganisms, and other contaminants during operation. In many applications (e.g., in beverage bottle conveying applications), this not only presents issues with regard to movement of items along the track, but can also present an unacceptable risk of bottle and beverage contamination. As a result, the track must be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure proper operation and sanitation. Track cleaning is currently typically performed manually by laboriously wiping the track with a dampened cloth. Since the track in many conveyor systems is typically overhead, cleaning often requires the use of lift devices that increase the time and cost of the cleaning.